Friday, September 18, 2009

Waterfront Festival Pays Tribute to the Chester River

CHESTERTOWN – Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society will present the annual Chestertown Waterfront Festival at Wilmer Park on Saturday, September 26, from noon to 5 p.m.The festival features boating, sailing and kayaking on the Chester River, a cardboard boat race, a Native American fishing and artifacts display, exhibits on watershed ecology, a touch tank, crafts, good food, family activities and music along the scenic Chester River. “It combines a mixture of nautical recreation, maritime culture and live entertainment right in the historic district,” said event organizer JoAnn Fairchild.This year the Chesapeake chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society will rendezvous on the river, with several wooden boats on display at the Wilmer Park bulkhead.There will be fried fish and funnel cake by Rose Green, a guided canoe trip with Sultana Projects, and of course, the ever-popular carboard boat regatta.With brave mariners climbing aboard and piloting their handmade crafts around a competitive race course, “The colorful cardboard boats are a real crowd-pleaser,” Fairchild said. “It’s always a surprise to see who captures the Cutty Sark prize for best engineering as opposed to the captain and crew that garners the Titanic award for most spectacular sinking.”Admission to the Waterfront Festival is free and open to the public. Wilmer Park is handicapped-accessible and friendly pets on leashes are welcome. In case of foul weather, water-based activities will be cancelled but Chester River Runoff will perform under Lelia Hynson Pavilion.The event is organized by the Center for Environment & Society, with sponsorship by Chesapeake Bank & Trust, Sultana Projects, Chestertown Marina, several local restaurants, and the Student Affairs Office at Washington College.The Center for Environment & Society supports interdisciplinary research and education, exemplary stewardship of natural and cultural resources, and the integration of ecological and social values.For a complete Waterfront Festival schedule and more information, go to http://ces.washcoll.edu/news/waterfrontfestival/index.php.